The Only Christmas Gifts for Kids’ Guide You’ll Need This Holiday Season (2024)

We all love getting ahead of the game when it comes to holiday prep. If you’re looking to do some early Christmas shopping, just choose a few of these winners from our carefully curated list of Christmas gifts for kids.

I spoke with people on the ground (kids) about what’s new, wanted, and popular, and the answers are telling. Kids are amped about all things Inside Out, but they’re also really into karaoke, gaming, and pretend play. Crafting is seeing a big tick-up, with kids wanting tie-dye kits and fun coloring sets. And for teens, things like Nike Air Force Ones are a hot item they will love.

From imaginative-play toys like the Ada Twist Kit that encourage your kids to step away from their screens and get immersed into a new, magical world, to classic throwback toys created with an all-new audience in mind, we found all of the toys and games that your kid will want to get their hands on this year. Here are the best Christmas gifts for kids in 2024 that we guarantee they’ll love to play with (and will make you wish you were a kid again!).

Planetarium projectors are not all equal. Discovery Kids proves that with their Space Projector. On top, it’s a space projector, similar to many others. But what makes it stand out is the viewer on the bottom, which has three different sets of slides that project images like planets, constellations, and galaxies. This gift for kids doubles as an interactive STEAM experience and a nightlight.

There’s something really cool about being able to take apart and put an engine back together again, and iPlay, iLearn has figured out how to distill that into the easiest-to-use toy with this truck engine. It comes with the front end of a truck, engine parts, and tools — and kids absolutely love getting to work on it!

Even if you’ve never heard of water marbling, I guarantee your kids have seen videos of people marbling everything from iPhone cases to Nikes. It’s a popular art form online, and kids are aching to learn how to do it. Indulge that desire with this all-inclusive kit from Coodoo.

I got to play this game, and I can tell you that it is really fun. Imagine if you could make cornhole less like a chore and into an actual game you and your kids will want to play — that's this game. Similar properties, 100% more volcanic eruptions of laughter.

Axolotl amphibians are really having a moment — kids are super clued into their cuteness and darling personalities. However, not everyone has the space or patience to take care of one. The solution? Axolotl accessories for the win, like this adorable 28-inch long axolotl body pillow. All the cuteness of the animal, none of the responsibilities.

The delight this brings to children is straight-up off the charts. It’s a real pottery wheel set that even young children can use and understand. It comes with everything they need to start throwing pots and bowls. And I wouldn’t be lying if I told you that I am as into this toy as the kids.

Artie 3000 is a friendly little robot that allows your kids to draw program-specific design patterns using intuitive drag-and-drop software. This gift for kids doesn’t even require Wi-Fi to create super cool designs.

I’ve made a ton of slime in the past few years, and this kit is the easiest, best, and most exciting slime kit. It’s also the easiest to clean up, as it's reasonably water-soluble. Anyone who has tried to get slime out of fabric knows how important that is. Plus, look at all those sparkles that are already contained and not all over your floor!

Amazon’s first full-color paperwhite-style Kindle does not disappoint. Kids who love to read will be bowled over by the clarity of the colors and pages combined with the ability to read in any light condition. It’s perfect for the kid who always has a book in their hand but is running out of shelf space.

Hatchimals has upped their game this year when they debuted the Hatchimals Alive doll. It's one of two magical creatures that your child has to "hatch" into existence with specific patterns of egg nurturing and rubbing. It then emits a fun mist, shakes and coos, and out pops your unicorn! When he's tired, just put him back in his nest for rest.

Poe is our 2024 Toy of the Year winner. It's a storytelling teddy bear that delights children with its increasingly ridiculous stories. Maybe you want a monkey to rescue a princess from a chef's kitchen! Maybe you want to rescue a dragon from the tower! Poe will do just that. And don't worry, it's a completely closed system.

Hear me out: DnD has never been cooler. I swear I'm not making that up just because I play. Whole cafes have been popping up designed for playing. There's an Off-Broadway DnD show. Critical Role — a YouTube DnD campaign series is one of the most-watched channels! Get your little nerdling their very own 2024 Player's Handbook. It's gorgeous, easy to follow, and a fab entrypoint to the game.

And if you're going to get them the Player's Guide, you may as well get them some super cool dice to go along with it. This set is rechargeable LED dice with all six that you need to play!

At the cross-section of puzzles and pretend play lives the tangram puzzles couch. It takes the idea of a play couch and turns it up a notch, including shape play with it. Kids can create any number of fun shapes and play areas with the set and at the end of the day, it all fits back in its soft cube that could double as a ball pit.

One of our 2024 Toy of the Year winners, Chicken Dance Elmo will be the hit of your house. He’s 100% ridiculous, and that’s the best thing about him. When you squeeze his belly, he sings, “Elmo wants to be a chicken. Elmo wants to be a duck, cluck cluck cluck cluck!” while dancing. It’s so silly and wonderful.

With surprisingly fast delivery, you can get the kid on your list a fab custom neon name sign. Just fill out the form on Amazon, pick the color, and you’re off to the races. It’s a sweet gift with a big impact.

So your kid wants a VR system, but you took one look at the price and your insides turned to jelly? Been there. Then Meta made the Quest 3S, a more affordable model for everyday fun. It still has all the games you want, with access to videos, music, and more, but at a much lower price point. Plus, when you buy it, you get 3 years of the premium subscription for free.